The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has launched its Youth in Business programme in Türkiye, building on its success in 12 other countries. The initiative aims to mobilise up to €250 million in financing to support young entrepreneurs under 35.
Backed by the Turkish government and the European Union (EU), the programme offers financial support, expertise, and business development services to address key challenges faced by young entrepreneurs, such as limited access to funding, experience, and market information.
According to the Bank, Türkiye faces persistently high youth unemployment, and the EBRD sees fostering youth-led businesses as a catalyst for economic growth. The programme will channel financing, technical assistance, and risk-sharing tools through local partner banks, which will then lend to youth-led micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
The Youth in Business programme is currently active in Central Asia, Egypt, Morocco and the Western Balkans, and is designed to make financing more accessible for businesses.
A major focus of the initiative is to aid economic recovery in regions hit by the February 2023 earthquakes, with 70% of the programme's funding set to support businesses in those areas.
At the launch event in Istanbul, Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director for Financial Institutions, highlighted the programme’s rapid growth since its 2021 debut in Egypt, expanding to a €1 billion initiative across 12 countries.
“Türkiye’s greatest asset is its youth,” he said. “We believe this programme will thrive among the country’s dynamic and resilient young entrepreneurs.”
The launch also marked the commitment of initial Turkish banking partners, with Akbank, Şekerbank, and TEB joining the programme.
Security measures along Türkiye' border with Iran have strengthened. Türkiye’s Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler said it's due to recent developments at between Iran and Israel.
The Armenian Prime Minister is set to visit Türkiye on Friday.
A new rail agreement between Pasifik Eurasia and a China Railway subsidiary is set to strengthen the Middle Corridor trade route, offering a faster and cheaper alternative to shipments via Russia.
Azerbaijani Press Council members met with Turkish diplomats in Baku to discuss expanding media ties and addressing challenges in bilateral coverage.
Türkiye’s current account balance registered a deficit of $7.8 billion in April, according to data released Monday by the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT), marking a wider-than-expected shortfall amid a sharp goods trade imbalance.
The US Embassy in Qatar has temporarily barred its personnel from entering Al Udeid Air Base due to rising regional tensions linked to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s ultra-low-fare national airline, has officially launched flights from Gabala, adding a second Azerbaijani city to its growing network and becoming the only low-cost carrier to connect the region with Abu Dhabi.
The World Bank has approved a $640 million loan to Bangladesh to help improve gas supply security and reduce dangerous air pollution in urban areas.
Egypt’s first integrated solar and battery storage plant will deliver dispatchable clean energy, enhance grid stability and manage peak demand. The project is expected to generate approximately 3,000 GWh of clean energy and avoid up to 1.4 million metric tonnes of emissions per year.
Israel’s sweeping surprise attack on Iran last week marked a major escalation in tensions, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring it had “struck at the head of Iran’s nuclear weaponization program.”
Peace is no longer a dream. It is a discussion. On the streets of Baku and Yerevan, it is also a question, of trust, of foreign interests, and of who truly wants it.
Israeli strikes have reportedly targeted areas near the residences of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to the New York Times, citing local witnesses.
Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has cancelled certain flights scheduled for 13th and 14th June amid recent escalation of situation in the Middle East and the closure of airspace in several countries for security reasons.
The 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit was held June 15–17 in Kananaskis, Alberta, under Canada’s presidency. Prime Minister Mark Carney framed the meeting around priorities of protecting communities, energy and climate security, the digital transition, and future partnerships.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for June 17th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
South Korea’s new administration proposed $14.7 billion in additional spending on Thursday to boost weak domestic demand, as President Lee Jae Myung pushes economic recovery as his top priority.
If the European Central Bank adjusts interest rates in the next six months, the move would likely be a cut, ECB policymaker Francois Villeroy de Galhau said on Thursday.
KazMunayGas (KMG) and China’s Sinopec have reached an agreement on the terms for jointly implementing the Berezovski subsoil use project in Kazakhstan’s West Kazakhstan region. The signed documents outline joint activities and formalize the strategic partnership between the two companies.
Japanese stocks saw the largest foreign inflow in four weeks during the week ending 14 June, driven by optimism over U.S.-China trade talks and a weaker yen supporting exporters’ earnings.
Nippon Steel closed its $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel on Wednesday after securing approval from the Trump administration, which obtained a rare “golden share” giving the U.S. government veto power over key corporate decisions.
The US Embassy in Qatar has temporarily barred its personnel from entering Al Udeid Air Base due to rising regional tensions linked to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s ultra-low-fare national airline, has officially launched flights from Gabala, adding a second Azerbaijani city to its growing network and becoming the only low-cost carrier to connect the region with Abu Dhabi.
The World Bank has approved a $640 million loan to Bangladesh to help improve gas supply security and reduce dangerous air pollution in urban areas.
Egypt’s first integrated solar and battery storage plant will deliver dispatchable clean energy, enhance grid stability and manage peak demand. The project is expected to generate approximately 3,000 GWh of clean energy and avoid up to 1.4 million metric tonnes of emissions per year.
Israel’s sweeping surprise attack on Iran last week marked a major escalation in tensions, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring it had “struck at the head of Iran’s nuclear weaponization program.”
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